Card base materials form the fundamental structural foundation of cards (such as smart cards, bank cards, and membership cards). Their properties directly impact the card's durability, printing quality, environmental friendliness, and applicable scenarios. Common card base materials include PVC, PET, ABS, PETG, and PC, which are compared below across key performance dimensions.

 

Mechanical Properties & Durability

PVC: Flexible and elastic with good fold resistance, but plasticizer migration may occur during long-term use.

PET: High hardness, excellent toughness, superior wear resistance, and strong chemical corrosion resistance.

ABS: High rigidity, moderate tensile strength, and a balance of toughness and impact resistance.

PETG: Good impact resistance and dimensional stability, but poor fatigue strength and prone to stress cracking.

PC: Outstanding impact resistance, a wide temperature tolerance range (-60℃ to 120℃), and excellent fold resistance.

 

Optical & Surface Properties

PET & PETG: High transparency and surface smoothness.

PVC: Can be made into transparent or opaque materials.

ABS: Excellent surface gloss.

PC: Stable optical performance and UV aging resistance.

All these materials support high-precision printing. Among them, PET and ABS have higher surface tension, facilitating ink adhesion.

 

Environmental Adaptability & Durability

PET & PETG: Good weather resistance, maintaining stable performance under various environmental conditions.

PC: Excellent chemical resistance, resistant to oils and acids.

PVC: Poor weather resistance, prone to aging when exposed to the environment for a long time.

ABS: Good chemical corrosion resistance but moderate weather resistance.

 

In terms of service life:

PET, PETG, and PC can last 10-20 years.

Ordinary PVC has a service life of approximately 3-5 years.

 

Processing Performance & Environmental Friendliness

PVC: Excellent processing fluidity, easy to print and dye, but some types have slight toxicity, limiting their environmental friendliness.

PET: Requires high processing temperatures (280-320℃), with attention to its decomposition temperature.

ABS: Easy to process with strong fluidity, suitable for electroplating and printing.

PETG: Minimal processing deformation, environmentally friendly and recyclable.

PC: Good heat resistance; processing temperature must be controlled to avoid stress cracking.

 

Environmental friendliness:

PET, PETG, and PC are recyclable materials.

PVC may produce toxic substances during recycling.

 

Cost & Application Suitability

PVC: Low cost, widely used in ordinary contact cards.

PET & PETG: Due to their wear resistance and environmental properties, suitable for high-durability cards such as transportation cards.

ABS: Moderate mechanical properties, suitable for double-layer structured cards.

PC: Comprehensive excellent performance, used in high-end smart cards.

New bio-based materials such as PHA are under research to replace traditional materials and address environmental challenges.

 

As a practitioner deeply rooted in the smart card base material industry, Ketian stands at the forefront of the sector, anticipates industrial transformation trends, and joins hands with industry partners to build a high-quality development ecosystem. Adhering to an innovation-driven philosophy, Ketian is committed to deepening material R&D and optimizing product performance. From safeguarding the security of financial payments and enabling precise identity recognition to facilitating convenient urban transportation and constructing smart city infrastructure, we focus on enhancing product performance and providing customized services to meet customers' diverse needs. Take action now and cooperate with Ketian Smart Card Technology to inject greater value into your products!

 

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